Opinion Voss v Buckley v Hird

Oct 22, 2014
21,543
43,122
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
OOB
The debate raged for years, and still does in some circles, as to who was the better player.
I want to know right now who is the better coach?
I had a great discussion with a group of friends today and thought it might make for an interesting, and heated topic to pass the time.
None have achieved anything.
Voss has been sacked, learnt some lessons and is now off to Port as an assistant. Is this the start of a brilliant career, or the beginning of the end for him as a senior coach?
Buckley has taken a GF final team to finishing outside the 8 for the first time in a decade.
We all know Hird's issues with ASADA, and he has been suspended for a year (we have the sympathy thread to get stuck into him for that)
For me as it stands right now, it has to be Hird. And my reasoning for this is simple. Hird is the only one of the three who seems to have the support of the players. (Ouch that hurts me to say that)
 
The debate raged for years, and still does in some circles, as to who was the better player.
I want to know right now who is the better coach?
I had a great discussion with a group of friends today and thought it might make for an interesting, and heated topic to pass the time.
None have achieved anything.
Voss has been sacked, learnt some lessons and is now off to Port as an assistant. Is this the start of a brilliant career, or the beginning of the end for him as a senior coach?
Buckley has taken a GF final team to finishing outside the 8 for the first time in a decade.
We all know *hird's issues with ASADA, and *he has been suspended for a year (we have the sympathy thread to get stuck into *him for that)
For me as it stands right now, it has to be *hird. And my reasoning for this is simple. *hird is the only one of the three who seems to have the support of the players. (Ouch that hurts me to say that)

EFA. Nothing else to contribute unfortunately
 

IschenkoUBeauty

Norm Smith Medallist
Suspended
Apr 18, 2014
5,860
8,748
AFL Club
North Melbourne
How do you know Buckley doesn't have the support of the players?

Voss from all reports had a bad relationship with that nerd CEO (his name escapes me), and it's hard to do your job to the best ability if those at board level are pulling in the opposite direction. Everybody has to be aligned with what the realistic on-field goals are. It's a feather in Voss' cap that Port has hired him as the midfield coach - and a ringing endorsement from Hinkley.

Hird has more or less the same record that the Bombers had under Knights. Yet the latter was given his marching orders, while the former is not only allowed to continue with the 'unsatisfactory' record that got Knights the flick, but with all that's gone on the last two years.

In fairness to Knights, he caught the tail-end of a lot of a few careers - people undersell how many goals per year were lost when Lloyd, Lucas, and Lovett all moved on at the end of '09.
 
Last edited:
Mar 16, 2001
23,964
55,788
Melbourne VIC
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Wales, Eastwood, West Ham
Right now they all look like crap. Couldn't be happier about it, and thanks to the OP for posing the question and reminding everyone. The fact that North has two genius coaches among our ex-players at the moment is quite nice too.
 

IschenkoUBeauty

Norm Smith Medallist
Suspended
Apr 18, 2014
5,860
8,748
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Right now they all look like crap. Couldn't be happier about it, and thanks to the OP for posing the question and reminding everyone. The fact that North has two genius coaches among our ex-players at the moment is quite nice too.
It's no coincidence either that Clarkson and Longmire both did lengthy 'apprenticeships', where as Buckley, Voss, and Hird all got appointed under the 'favourite-son rule'....
 

niko11

Club Legend
Sep 15, 2014
2,058
1,591
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Yeah i dont believe Hird has the support of all players,he is still their coach so what else are they going to say! Players have left to other clubs like Ryder etc but once Hird goes then the truth will come out..... Yeah true they havent achieved much yet but id Say Voss is the Better coach and better man and i dnt think his future as senior coach is over...
 
Oct 22, 2014
21,543
43,122
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
OOB
How do you know Buckley doesn't have the support of the players?

Voss from all reports had a bad relationship with that nerd CEO (his name escapes me), and it's hard to do your job to the best ability if those at board level are pulling in the opposite direction. Everybody has to be aligned with what the realistic on-field goals are. It's a feather in Voss' cap that Port has hired him as the midfield coach - and a ringing endorsement from Hinkley.

Hird has more or less the same record that the Bombers had under Knights. Yet the latter was given his marching orders, while the former is not only allowed to continue with the 'unsatisfactory' record that got Knights the flick, but with all that's gone on the last two years.

In fairness to Knights, he caught the tail-end of a lot of a few careers - people undersell how many goals per year were lost when Lloyd, Lucas, and Lovett all moved on at the end of '09.
I don't know anything about Buckley's relationship with the players other than what has been speculated about in the media. And again the reports about Voss and his expectations of the players are only from the media. I based the apparent love for Hird partly because of Cooneys choice to play with the Bombers as he wanted to play for Hird.
In the end no one knows anything that's why this debate is awesome and frustrating at the same time. It is pure opinion.
 
Jun 8, 2004
13,673
30,234
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
In all seriousness that is a tough question.
Voss was the best on field leader, Hird was the mos spectacular and Buckley the most consistent.

In terms of coaching it still has a lot to play out but I get a feeling Voss will make a successful comeback to coaching in the years to come. The other two might be already finished when this happens.
 
Jun 9, 2001
37,642
145,024
Fogarty Street
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
St Johnstone
Voss is an unabashed figjam. Probably can coach a little bit but just don't rate his man management and ability to focus outside himself highly enough to think he could be successful as a senior coach unless he happened to stumble on a perfectly primed list.

Buckley surprisingly is also an unabashed figjam. The bottomless tax exempt and government gifted resources and facilities of Collingwood will always cushion Buckley's worst aspects so he might enjoy some form of success as a coach even if his overall ability was never that great.

*Hird is only coaching right now because he appears to have a metaphorical gun to the head of * hierarchy. Oh and he's also an unabashed figjam.
 

IschenkoUBeauty

Norm Smith Medallist
Suspended
Apr 18, 2014
5,860
8,748
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Voss has a lot of similarities to Ratten. Apparently had the board pulling in the opposite direction during his tenure. Blues were in cahoots with Malthouse while Ratten was still in the top job (anyone who says otherwise is full of s**t). And the Lions from all reports had one eye firmly on Paul Roos when the decision was made to axe Voss.

One has been an assistant to two flags at the Hawks (Ratten) and the other has taken charge of a highly-touted midfield of a side fancied to do great things this year (Voss). Just shows that boards aren't always right. Always let football people make the football decisions, not cashed-up benefactors or four-eyes poindexters....
 
Jun 9, 2001
37,642
145,024
Fogarty Street
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
St Johnstone
Voss has a lot of similarities to Ratten. Apparently had the board pulling in the opposite direction during his tenure. Blues were in cahoots with Malthouse while Ratten was still in the top job (anyone who says otherwise is full of s**t). And the Lions from all reports had one eye firmly on Paul Roos when the decision was made to axe Voss.

One has been an assistant to two flags at the Hawks (Ratten) and the other has taken charge of a highly-touted midfield of a side fancied to do great things this year (Voss). Just shows that boards aren't always right. Always let football people make the football decisions, not cashed-up benefactors or four-eyes poindexters....

Agree with you on Ratten's vindication. Voss however hasn't proven anything in terms of redemption just yet.
 

Kimbo

Cancelled
Veteran 10k Posts
Dec 14, 2002
19,301
29,318
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Sturt, Liverpool
Wtf is this s**t?
This.

BarneyShootsHimself.gif
 

scooby1279

Norm Smith Medallist
May 15, 2004
7,691
11,813
melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
kangaroos
put it this way - players left due to Voss being coach, players left due to Buckley being coach (add Beams to that), yet no players have left due to Hird, while others Cooney fell in love with him haha.
 
Back